A senior lawyer has petitioned Inspector-General of Police over the alleged unlawful arrest, detention, and torture of an 85-year-old security guard in Abuja.
Gatekeepers News reports that the petition was filed by senior advocate Godwin Ogboji on behalf of the victim, Abubakar Aliyu.
The lawyer accused one Adesoye Mayowa Ezekiel of using police officers to allegedly carry out the arrest despite an ongoing land dispute already before courts in Federal Capital Territory.
Ogboji said Aliyu, who was employed to guard a property in Lugbe, Abuja, was arrested on March 24, 2026, and detained under what he described as dehumanising conditions.
He alleged that the elderly man was “whisked away like a common criminal” and subjected to several days of harsh treatment.
The lawyer argued that the matter in question is purely civil and already pending before competent courts, stressing that the police have no legal role in such disputes. He cited provisions of the Police Act to support his claim that involving law enforcement in land matters amounts to an abuse of process.
He further revealed that the victim’s health has worsened following the incident, noting that the 85-year-old suffers from hypertension and other age-related illnesses.
In the petition, Ogboji called on the police authorities to investigate the officers involved, sanction those found culpable, and prosecute all parties linked to the alleged abuse.
He also demanded compensation for medical treatment and protection for the victim, warning that such actions encourage individuals to “weaponise” the police in civil conflicts.
